As often happened, they had vanished for a year or more, so that one did not know whether they were alive or dead, and then had suddenly been brought forth to incriminate themselves in the usual way.

• 像通常一样，他们先消失了一两年，无声无息，生死未卜； 而后，又突然给带了出来，按照惯常的方式坦白认罪。